Posted on 04/06/2008 4:48:34 AM PDT by MississippiMasterpiece
Last night I made my first-ever purchase on HSN. I bough a Gateway desktop with the new AMD Triple-Core processor, a 22-inch flat screen monitor that's also a high-def TV, 2 GB Ram, 320 GB hard drive, ATI video card and Windows Vista Premium OS with complete media center. According to HSN, they were offering a one-time price of $999 (that included the monitor). Apparently, the triple core processor has been on the market for only a week or so.
Did I get a decent deal or did I get ripped off? I have a couple of days to cancel my order. I'd appreciate any advice.
Here's a suggestion..go to one or two computer retailers in your area..a major chain and an independent...possibly someone who builds them to order. Show them what you bought, what it cost, and ask them if they can do better, and show you..
However, I do not know if you will be needing the TV input etc. It really depends on your needs.
There is no mention of any Office type software. That can be expensive also.
If your main goal is surfing then you are paying for features that you will never use. Another question, is $1100 (after taxes and shipping) affordable for you?
Take a look here:
http://folding.extremeoverclocking.com/team_summary.php?s=&t=36120
and click on ExtremeDeals on the banner. The very first item is:
“This Inspiron 530 comes with a 2.4Ghz Core 2 Quad Q6600 processor, 3GB of DDR2 667Mhz SDRAM (upgrade to 800Mhz for $20), 500GB SATA Hard Drive, 16x DVD+/-RW double layer burner, and a 1 year warranty, all for $499. Expires 4/17/08 at 5:59AM CT.”
Quad core is as good or better than the AMD Tri-core, and you can sometimes configure Dells with Windows XP.
Some deals feature a monitor, you can extend the warranty, etc. I personally prefer HP to Dell or Gateway, but there rally isn't much difference if you never need service.
No matter which computer you choose, please sashay over to the latest Folding thread and join the Free Republic Folding team 36120 and help cure Alzheimer's Disease when the system is idling.
For all those who currently encounter or will encounter a wasting disease like Alzheimer's Disease, Huntington's Disease or Parkinson's Disease please consider our latest Free Republic Folding@home thread, and join up there also.
Simple to download and you can even run it on your PS3!
Gateway has some of the worst Resellerratings.com ratings in the business: Gateway: 1.39 / 10.
The listing of components tells you very little about a PC these days. Anyone can throw together the usual parts; I know, I do it myself as a weird hobby. You're looking for companies that will go the extra mile to see that what you get works reliably, and you're looking for good service.
By the way, is that Gateway you bought the one I see for sale on Newegg.com for $539.99? See further Newegg: Gateway GT5670 Phenom 8400. Note that this Newegg model actually has 3 GBytes of RAM, not the 2 GBytes in the one you bought. Microsoft Vista will run better in that extra memory.
If I was for some perverted reason going to buy a Gateway, I'd buy it from Newegg, not from the Home Shopping Network. Newegg can at least get the price down, and they can ship, on-time, reliably, the right thing, to the right place, correctly billed. They are really good at price, inventory, delivery and billing. They won't provide much service (other than promptly and accurately handling returns within their conditions) if any, but if you're buying a Gateway, you'd better get used to the "no service" in any case.
I don't know what you actually need in a PC ... it's really easy to end up buying more than what you need, or additional or premium software that you don't need, for hundreds of dollars of wasted money. Therefore, I can only offer generic advice on where to shop. I'd recommend PudgetSystems.com for a more boutique, informed, customized experience, or in some cases, with other strengths and weaknesses, Newegg, Dell or HP.
But ... please ... not a Gateway from the Home Shopping Network.
If you think you got about $500 worth of entertainment value by shopping on HSN, then I’d say you got a good deal.
Why? Were you planning to cancel the purchase if it wasn’t a good deal?
Especially with computers, you can always wait another week and the “super sale” become the every day price.
Even Black Friday sales only hold their value for a few months.
...........
I happen to think that Gateway has decent equipment, but all manufacturers make decent equipment, at least in theory. Its the service after the sale that keeps me buying from local PC shops.
While I can (and do) build PCs from scratch, it is seldom worth it anymore unless you want to pick your own parts. It doesn't sound like you want to invest that much time into the project. I find that I can bottom feed sales and refurb systems and get some really good deals, and my weekends are free.
Later I'll post the $99 legal copy of MS Office, but try Open Office first.
Also watch the help threads and get your system protected against viruses and spyware first thing.
OP, is this the one you order?http://electronics.hsn.com/gateway-triple-core-2gb-ram-320gb-hdd-desktop_p-4215535_xp.aspx?sf=ec&dept=ec0027&prev=hp!sf&cm_re=shopping_grid*element_1_link*computers_shopping_grid&ccm=EC|ec0027
Not a bad alternative to MS Office, for free.
I would not recommend buying from makers like Dell, after i somewhat prayerfully shopped for the best PC under 500._ for a friend. http://www.computerlx.com/config.aspx?t=&product_ID=656 (scroll down; upgradeable) What he got for 426._ with 3 years warranty and lifetime tech, by my comparison was comparable to what you would get from Dell for about 640._. With only one year warranty and support. I do not think you could even build one that cheap with those components.
His AMD 4200dual core 2.2 cpu with 2GB ram seems faster than my Dell e520 3.08 Intel dual core with 1.5GB ram (there is more to speed than these things). I am not complaining ans i thank God for this one. but this site seems to offer the better buys to me.
If its the Gateway you linked to,...I would say that is a pretty good deal...has MS Office Student Edition....
Yes, but it is only good for a 60-day trial period.
On April 24, you posted a vanity Need Advice on How to Sell Stuff, and yesterday (April 6) early morning you posted this vanity asking another question.
Each time, about a dozen people took the time to respond. We never heard back from you, either time. If you're reading these replies, then it would be courteous to respond on the thread, at least with a thanks or an acknowledgment.
If you ask questions and then disappear, then this tends to reduce the enthusiasm with which we reply to such requests for technical help, from both yourself and others, the next time.
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